News
Carnival Cruise Customers Bash ‘Tacky’ Stickers Showing Who Has Pre-Paid Tips
Carnival Cruises is facing backlash for a new program that gives out stickers to guests who pre-pay their gratuities, identifying them to staff and fellow passengers as customers who have already tipped crew members.
A TikTok user, @itsdestinylife, was among the first to show off their badge from this program that included a sticker, which reads, “Crew love I pre-paid my gratuities.” Additionally, they showed there was a note waiting for them in their room thanking them for pre-paying.
Commenters were quick to mock the new initiative, calling the idea of flagging these people to the public as “tacky,” while others called for Carnival Cruises to simply pay its employees more rather than having them rely on the generosity of guests. Many noted they don’t pre-pay and tip in cash to ensure that the employees who provided them with service are the ones getting the money.
On its website, Carnival Cruises noted that a $17 per person and day for a standard room and $19 for suite accommodations can be pre-paid and are not included in the cruise fare. This is in addition to a service charge of 20 percent for drinks and a suggestion from the company to tip your head waiter.
However, Yahoo Travel noted that many cruise lines, including Carnival, charge gratuities automatically as service charges after sailing. Customers can ask to have those charges removed from their bill, though.
What is unique to Carnival is identifying those who pre-pay with a sticker for everyone to see. In a statement provided to Cruise Critic, a spokesperson for Carnival explained that the stickers are meant to highlight their staff.
“Our team members provide great service to every guest. The ‘Crew Love’ stickers and thank-you notes are simply a way to let our crew know that a guest has prepaid their gratuities, while giving those guests a little recognition for their generosity,” the spokesperson said.
They added that the stickers are merely a pilot program and that it is listening to customer feedback and evaluating.
